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EarthDay top 10 list....  

BELIEVE IT! You can continue to make a difference...
Contributing to a clean environment should be everyone's responsibility.  By working together to reduce pollution sources, we can limit the harmful effects on our children and families.
 
But traditionally, Earth Day is utilized by finger pointing alarmists who scare the pants off the public with stories of impending disaster and eco destruction that are wrecking our fragile environment (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/).
 
This constant doom and gloom information discourages many individuals from making even the slightest change, as they perceive that individually they can have no impact on this global problem.
 
That couldn’t be further from the truth… The fact is that if just a third of the US made better choices in their daily lives to conserve and preserve there is a good chance of eliminating many of these problems.
 
BELIEVE IT! If a third of us agree to stand against the gravest threat in human history and do our part collectively, we can make a huge impact.
 
What's more, many of the ideas that protect the environment also save money. That helps the economy and dependence on outside energy sources.
 
So what can you do? Quite literally, YOU can stop “Tons” of emissions and waste from entering the environment by following some good and practical ideas. I have included a list below of little things you can do today and every day to make a difference.
 
Earth Day should be a celebration of our individual commitment to protect the environment and how each one of us continues to make a difference. Celebrate the fact that releases of toxic chemicals dropped 42% from 1998 to 2003*!
 
 
Pass this email on to anyone who cares to make a difference!
 
Thanks for caring,
 
 


Christopher Haase
Director of Environmental, Health and Safety
ESS, Inc. Winner of the "Excellence in Environmental Performance Award"
Email: haase@neutralsolution.com
Voice (262) 238-5576
Web: www.neutralcleaner.com
 
 
HERE IS MY EARTH DAY TOP 10 LIST!
1. Donate your old phone
2. Recycle your old computer
3. Convert your light bulbs
4. Driving differently and get hybrid results!
5. Turn down the refrigerator and air conditioning
6. Plant a tree, bush or plant in your backyard
7. Properly dispose of hazardous household waste
8. Recycle batteries for free or even make $
9. Remove hazardous cleaners
10. We have already made a difference...
 
 
1. Donate your old phone?
HopeLine(SM) phone has recycled more than 600,000 phones since 2001. In 2005 alone, nearly 150,000 pounds of batteries were recycled through the national HopeLine(SM) service!
Possible tax benefits… http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline
 
 
2. Recycle, but don’t donate your old computer?
According to the U.S. EPA, nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years. As more companies, organizations, and individuals find reasons to upgrade their computer equipment, the problem of disposing of old equipment grows.

Don’t give away your problems! Contact the refurbisher or recycler before donating…
Out-of-date computer systems can be more of a burden than a blessing to schools and nonprofits, as it can cost them up to $400 to bring a pre-Pentium computer up to today's standards. Donate computers to a recycler or refurbisher, rather than directly to these other groups.

Computer Recycling Resources
There are approximately 400 nonprofit and school-based refurbishers in the U.S. A Large listing of non-commercial refurbishers in the country can be found at:
• Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) Program Web site (http://www.techsoup.org/mar/mars.asp).
• The National Cristina Foundation (http://www.cristina.org/) lists a network of refurbishers online and at 203-863-9100.
• Computers for Schools also operates a network of non-commercial refurbishers online and at 800-939-6000 (http://www.pcsforschools.org/).
 
 
3. Convert your light bulbs!
When your light bulb burns out, swap it with a fluorescent or LED bulb ($3 to $6). If every U.S. household replaced a burned-out bulb with ENERGY STAR bulbs, the cumulative effect would prevent more than 13 billion pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – which is like taking more than a million cars off the road for an entire year. Other light saving conservation includes turning off unneeded lights, open the curtains and bring natural sunlight into your home when feasible.
 
 
4. Just driving differently and maintaining your car can save TONs (http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/23/Autos/hybrid_alternatives/index.htm) !
Paying attention to the fuel efficiency in your car may be the single best thing you can do to prevent pollution. All of the things on this list save on gas (saving you money) and can provide near “hybrid” results during normal driving:
• Use your cruise! It cuts down on other unnecessary speed changes which can eat up gas. An Edmunds.com's test, got almost 14% better mileage using cruise control.
• Drive less or share a ride – once a week saves 1 ton of CO2 a year!
• Keep your car tuned up. It can double fuel efficiency and add to another ton of CO2 a year!
• Slow down and watch your braking.
• Using “lighter” viscosity oil can save 2-3 mpg in cold weather.
• Keep starts and stops smooth.  “jackrabbit” starts and abrupt stops waste gas and cause extra wear.
• Maintain tires and keep wheels aligned. Low tire air pressure is dangerous - and costly. It creates a drag on the engine, prematurely wears out tires and burns more gas. Misaligned wheels, worn wheel bearings or dragging brakes also can reduce fuel economy by 10%
• Use your air conditioner wisely. Running your air conditioner can waste gas. Use fresh air at low speeds. On hot days, park in the shade and open the windows a few minutes to let hot air escape.
• Lighten the load. Added weight lowers fuel economy. Removing extra “stuff” in the back and trunk can make a difference.
• Avoid traffic. Stop-and-go traffic takes a drastic toll on fuel usage. If at all possible, plan your trips to avoid periods of peak traffic congestion.
• CAR POOL – It is more fun to drive with a friend than no one at all
• Plan your errands. Try to combine short trips with your daily commute on the way home from work.
• Fill up in the morning. You’ll get slightly more fuel for your dollar if you fill up when it’s cooler outside. (Cooler gasoline is more compact.) Over time, the savings can add up.
• Perform routine car care. Dirty air filters and oil filters, worn spark plugs, neglected oil changes and problems with the emission-control system can reduce fuel economy.
 
 
5. Turn down refrigerator and air conditioning!
Your refrigerator and air conditioning may be responsible for 15-25% of your electric bill.
• Don't set the thermostats too high. Even 1 degree will make a big difference.
• Clean the condenser coils with a vacuum. This one, very simple thing can improve the efficiency of your refrigerator & air conditioning unit by a third!
 
The other big users of energy in your household are your hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher. Each, in its own way, can be inefficient. Here are some things to try:
• Either turn the hot water heater down a couple of degrees, or turn on the "energy conservation" setting.
• Buy insulation for your hot water heater at a local store and insulate the pipes as well.
• Install a timer on your electric water heater to turn off at night and just before you wake up.
• When possible, hand wash dishes by using a “low foaming” cleaner (http://www.neutralcleaning.com/Low%20Foaming.htm). Over time, that will save a few loads in the dishwasher, conserving energy & water.
• Use a good dishsoap that does not require heat boost or wasteful pre-rinsing of dishes.
• Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher.
• Wash clothes in warm water, not hot. The clothes will be just as clean, and cut energy use by 50%.
• Don't over-dry your clothes. That will save 15%.
 
 
6. Plant a tree, bush or plant in your backyard
Yes, it’s the oldest trick in the book but trees clean air, break winds to save energy and add shade to lower cooling costs. While plants and bushes can also help, think of ways to use less water with them. And make sure you water your lawn sparingly. All of these will conserve water & energy.
 
Consider this… According to the “American Forests'” I would have to plant 60 trees to offset my family’s negative impact on the environment. Find out what you can do using the CO2 calculator at: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/ccc/
 
 
7. Properly dispose of hazardous household waste
Every spring the average household has countless bottles, cans and other containers full of hazardous chemicals that can ALL be disposed of properly or even better, recycled! Contact your trash collection service to find out where you community household waste drop off center is. Or visit: http://www.p2rx.org to find a collection spot in your area.
 
Here is a short list of hazardous household waste (Full list: http://www.neutralcleaning.com/Toxic%20Hazardous.htm)
• Batteries (see recycling article)
• Aerosols
• Paint
• Cleaners
• Air fresheners
• Automotive products
• Drain cleaners
• Polishes and pesticides.
 
 
8. Recycle batteries… free or even make $$$
There's little argument that lead is extremely toxic. Scientific studies show that long-term exposure to even tiny amounts of lead can cause brain and kidney damage, hearing impairment, and learning problems in children. But still more than 40,000 metric tons of lead is lost to landfills every year. According to the federal Toxic Release Inventory, another 70,000 metric tons are released in the lead mining and manufacturing process.
 
What can you do? Simple. Drop off used batteries for recycling.
• All rechargeables should be recycled. Many retail stores accept them.
• Buy rechargeable batteries and equipment with rechargeable batteries whenever possible.
• Many recyclers PAY YOU for your used batteries.
Check out www.rbrc.org or call 1-(800) 822-8837 for a drop-off location near you.
 
 
9. Remove hazardous cleaners...
The hazardous chemicals in common cleaners can not only be harmful to your family, but they can have detrimental consequences to indoor air quality, aquatic life and the environment. There are no excuses to use these traditional hazardous cleaners with a variety of safer cleaners available. (www.neuhomecare.com)
 
 
10. We have already made a difference...
*According to the EPA, the U.S. is already getting cleaner. Releases of toxic chemicals dropped 42% from 1998 to 2003, even though more chemicals are being counted. But, don’t kid yourself we all see the looming global environmental problems, and need to continue change now before we reach the environmental point of “no return”. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/) (http://blogs.usatoday.com/techspace/2006/04/a_dark_forecast.html)
 
*http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/tri03/brochure.htm
 

Pass this email on to anyone who cares to make a difference.
 
www.neutralsolution.com www.neuhomecare.com www.neutralcleaning.com